Western Technical College (Western) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

technical college An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

. A member of the

Wisconsin Technical College System Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is a system of 16 public technical colleges administered by the state of Wisconsin. The system offers more than 500 programs, awarding two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas, and ...

, the Western Technical College District serves 11 counties and enrolls over 5,000 students. The college has six campus locations in western Wisconsin, and its main campus is in downtown La Crosse. Western is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

History

Founded in 1912, the school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC), but "Wisconsin" was dropped on March 29, 2006. Western received voter approval for facilities improvement via referendums in 1992 ($8.9 million), 1996 ($3.65 million), and 2012 ($79.8 million).

Former names

* 1912-17: La Crosse Continuation and Adult Schools * 1917-63: La Crosse Vocational School * 1963-65: Coleman Vocational and Adult Schools * 1965-68: Coleman Technical Institute * 1968-87: Western Wisconsin Technical Institute * 1987-2006: Western Wisconsin Technical College * 2006–present: Western Technical College

Locations

Western Technical College Black River Falls Wisconsin Campus

Other locations where classes are offered include: *

Black River Falls , settlement_type = City , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Black River Falls Wisconsin Downtown2 WIS54.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Looking west at ...

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

* Mauston *

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

* Tomah *

Viroqua Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,504 at the 2020 census. The city is in the town of Viroqua. Etymology The town was originally named “Farwell” after Leonard J. Farwell, second Gov ...

Academics

Western Technical College offers more than 100 programs, providing

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

s, technical diplomas, and certificates. The college also offers English Language Learners courses, GED/HSED classes, and apprenticeship training. Western has agreements with several colleges and universities that allow students earn credits towards a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

through their programs.

Athletics

Western Technical College's sports teams are called the Cavaliers, who play in red and white colors. The school began athletics in 1967. In 2020, the Western Cavaliers Women's Basketball team finished the season 25-6 and won the NJCAA Division III National Championship, the first national title in school history.

References

External links

Official websiteThe History of Western Technical College
Bert Hoch Wisconsin technical colleges Buildings and structures in La Crosse, Wisconsin Educational institutions established in 1912 Education in Juneau County, Wisconsin Education in La Crosse County, Wisconsin Education in Jackson County, Wisconsin Education in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin Education in Monroe County, Wisconsin Education in Vernon County, Wisconsin 1912 establishments in Wisconsin NJCAA athletics {{Wisconsin-university-stub